MALAPPURAM: Five people have died after an autorickshaw collided with a bus carrying Sabarimala pilgrims coming from Karnataka, police said.
The accident took place in Malappuram's Manjeri town at 5:30 pm on Friday evening, police said, adding that four members of a family died along with the autorickshaw driver.
The deceased have been identified as Muhsina and her sister Tasneema, Tasneema's children Rinsha Fatima (7) and Raisa Fatima (3), and the autorickshaw driver Abdul Majeed.
Their bodies have been kept at the Manjeri Medical College Hospital Mortuary.
Five people have been injured in the accident. They were identified as Sabira, Muhammad Nishad (11), Ahsa Fatima (4), Muhammad Assan, and Raihan.
The injured have been shifted to Kozhikode Medical College Hospital, police said. The Malappuram District Police Chief said that a joint investigation will be carried out with the motor vehicle department to see if there are any issues with the road.
"The police will conduct a joint investigation with the motor vehicle department and will check the accident spot properly, see if there are any issues with the road and take steps to make sure such accidents don't happen again," Sasidharan S, Malappuram District Police Chief, said on Friday.
The Manjeri police have taken the driver of the bus into custody. The Sabarimala pilgrims who were in the bus were taken to the pilgrimage site in another vehicle, police said.